Man acquitted of having sex with dog before killing it

PORTLAND, Maine - A Maine man accused of having sex with his dog before killing it and warning his girlfriend he could do the same to her has been acquitted of charges of domestic violence and cruelty to animals.

The attorney for 55-year-old Durham resident Thomas Wentworth says he's glad to have his good standing restored after being cleared of the "heinous allegation."

Prosecutors tell the Sun Journal the jury apparently did not believe a victim of domestic violence.

Wentworth says he placed a bag filled with ether over the blind dog's head because he didn't want to see it suffer.

Despite the not-guilty finding, a judge extended a previous probation order for Wentworth, saying he violated it by drinking alcohol and killing the dog in a manner that didn't cause immediate death.